Two disclaimers before you advance any farther. #1: If you think that the four years you spent in high school (or college) were the best years of your life, this post is not for you. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, click out of this article, abort mission. (Unless you are actually in highschool or college! Then disregard…

It’s been baffling to know what to share with you. I’ve started and discarded at least four drafts. I realize that we are each uniquely impacted by the craziness our planet is currently enduring. So I have said nothing. But I don’t think silence is right. Especially while we’re isolated and social-distancing, it seems more important than ever to reach…

The irony is not lost on me: dropping off the face of the earth midstream through a series is NOT a conventional example of excellence. August was the last time you heard from me, and April was the last time we explored this anxiety-busting series that I’m calling “Yeah, Whatever” from Philippians 4:8. We have considered the words true, noble,…

Hello! I know it’s been a long while since you’ve heard from me. I have not given up writing, nor have I forgotten that we were exploring Philippians 4:8 together in an anxiety-buster series by considering each of the words (true, noble, pure, etc.). We will eventually finish the last two words (excellent and praiseworthy) in that series! But today,…

This Yeah, Whatever series is all about Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. The intent is to think of concrete examples for each so the command does not stay abstract. I’ve designed a note…

When I was in second grade I spent my recesses searching the playground’s pea gravel for agates. These rocks were precious finds but not so uncommon that I didn’t often travel home with weighted coat pockets. I collected rocks at the beach and occasionally at a souvenir shop. I had a clear jar of interesting river rocks filled with water…

It’s deceptively delightful at the moment – homemade applesauce simmers on the stove permeating the house with the fragrance of cinnamon. It’s not that the applesauce isn’t delicious or that the house doesn’t smell amazing. It is, and it does. But the circumstances prompting this uncharacteristic domestic display are less than ideal. What doom and gloom created applesauce-awesomeness-from-scratch at the…

After the kids were tucked in, my husband and I wrapped their gifts, chuckling in hushed tones over their gift-giving gusto for us this year. “They wrapped half their bedrooms and put it under the tree,” I said, exaggerating slightly. “I think they used up two new rolls of scotch tape just today,” my husband observed. “They’ve pointed out several…

If you are just joining us, welcome to the Yeah, Whatever series as we study Philippians 4:8 in a way you may have never before! (You can read the first and second posts in the series HERE and HERE.) I’ve benefitted reflecting on specific things that are true and noble. I tell you what, though, I struggled to find something…

This post is part of a series called Yeah, Whatever – a reflection on Philippians 4:8. The premise for the series is that abstract concepts sound great but do us a fat lot of good unless we can start to wrap our brains around them. Therefore, each post includes a note card especially designed to help you (and me) start…

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Pearl Allard

“In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.” ~ C.S. Lewis

I love the sunflower as a spiritual metaphor. Did you know during the sunflower’s bud stage it tracks the sun’s daily movement across the sky? I am an imperfect Son-follower learning to enjoy the grace of Jesus and on mission to nurture others to enjoy it, also — especially the one who thinks she shouldn’t. I am happily-mostly-aftered to my hero of fifteen years and am stay-at-home mama to two crazy-wonderful kids in Michigan. I’ve written for (in)courage, Breathe Christian Writers Conference, and Keys for Kids.